Rare books dealer Scholium 'could double or treble in size' as it is set to float on AIM market

Rare books dealer Scholium, run by a member of the family behind university bookshop Blackwell’s, is to float.

The firm, named after scholia – notes in the margin of ancient manuscripts – will announce its intention to float on the AIM junior market on Monday.

It plans to raise £10million by placing new shares in a deal valuing the company at between £16million and £20million.

Books: Scholium will announce its intention to float on the AIM junior market on Monday

Scholium will use the proceeds to buy new books for its Shapero Rare Books outlet, which once sold the fourth bible ever printed for £1million, and to fund commissions paid to specialist dealers to match books with collectors.

Scholium’s chief executive is Philip Blackwell, a direct descendant of Benjamin Blackwell, who founded the bookshop chain in Oxford in 1879.